Lakeside Pride's First Board Chair of Color Elevates New Voices to Leadership / Event Synopsis

Lakeside Pride, Chicago's premiere music groups for the LGBTQ community members and allies is currently under the direction of its first BIPOC Board Chair, Jonathan Alvares. This is all a part of an initiative to create the most diverse and representative board in all of Chicago.

Jonathan Alvares has been a member of Lakeside Pride since 2013, and a member of the Board since 2015. Since then, he has grown to admire the unique community that an all LGBTQ+ and ally music organization offers for individual members and Chicago. "At the time I joined, I hadn't played my saxophone in several years. So I appreciated that the organization allows members of all skill levels to join - relieving some of the pressure of auditioning," says Alvares. "But it's the amazing community that has really kept me involved for the past decade."

Alvares joined the organization when it consisted of roughly 120 members. During his tenure, the organization has increased its membership to over 425 active members and is constantly growing, with significant recruiting efforts in the South and West Sides of the city. "I came into my role as Chair in the middle of the pandemic, and with the help of my team, we guided Lakeside Pride through a turbulent time both responsibly and sustainably. The fact that we're even bigger now on the other side of the pandemic is testament to how strong our community is."

"Through performance opportunities, we've helped usher in new partnerships with Chicago institutions like the Adler Planetarium, Chicago History Museum, and the Uptown Chamber of Commerce, " said Alvares. "We also formed and enhanced community partnerships with organizations that share our values, including the Center on Halsted, VanderCook College of Music, the Logan Center for the Arts, and DePaul School of Music."

In transitioning off the Board in the coming months once his term ends, Alvares has high hopes for the future and its ever-increasing impact on the community. For several years, he has led the organization's DEI initiatives through outreach and partnership efforts, leadership training, and practicing decision-making through a DEI lens.

"Of most importance, Lakeside Pride is a safe space for members and audiences of all backgrounds, of all walks of life, to come together to find community and share in our passion for music," said Alvares. "It's a luxury that not everyone has, like me when I was growing up as a queer South Asian in exurban Ohio. So I hope that our organization serves as a place to come together and feel included, empowered, and enlightened. We have established ourselves as a strong institution in the city's vibrant LGBTQ community, and now we're pushing those boundaries and anchoring ourselves into new pockets in Chicago where our mission can truly have a deeper impact."

Lakeside Pride is reaching exciting strides as it prepares for its next event. This year's season theme is 'Rise' and the upcoming symphonic band concert has a theme centered around 'Toward A New Life'. Under Alvares's leadership, several world changing events have taken place - providing a number of opportunities for the organization to respond in a forward-thinking manner - these include the tragic murder of George Floyd and the fight for racial justice, the mass shooting at Club Q in Colorado Springs, and the numerous anti-LGBTQ+ legislation being brought forward in neighboring states. In the wake of these events, Lakeside Pride has taken 'Toward A New Life' to a hopeful measure with the music presented at this Spring's Symphonic Band show.

EVENT SYNOPSIS:

After traveling through the pits of hell and sparking revolutionary change for justice, Lakeside Pride Symphonic Band ascends on to a new chapter. Just As Spring Arrives, you might see some Rainbow in the Clouds after an April shower. And with the Spring showers comes new life as nature's greenery and colors emerge from the ground. And speaking of colors, at Lakeside Pride, we encourage everyone to live their most authentic self. You can expect a jamboree at our concert in the advent of hope Toward a New Life and the Celebration of a brighter future.

Toward a New Life

Date: Saturday April 1st, 2023

Time: 7pm

Ticket Pricing: $12 (all fees included)

Location: Holtschneider Performance Center, Gannon Hall, 2330 N. Halsted St. Chicago, IL 60614

For more information about Lakeside Pride go to lakesidepride.org/events

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